Chicago flights and travel guide

As Frank Sinatra crooned, “Chicago is my kind of town.” And many visitors agree. A trip to Chicago is best spent shopping on the Miracle Mile, stepping back in time at the National History Museum, touring the artist’s lofts in the heart of the city, and enjoying some cool jazz at one of Chicago’s many jazz clubs.

Chicago, with its varied and eclectic sampling of modern architecture, rests on the shores of Lake Michigan in the heart of the American Midwest. Flights to Chicago land travellers at either Midway Airport or O’Hare International Airport, both about 30 minutes from downtown Chicago, but a car isn’t needed to get around. Take a taxi or hop the commuter rail from your Chicago flight to downtown and then tour the city by foot. Stop by the Sears Tower, the tallest building in the United States, and take an elevator ride to the Sears Tower Skydeck for unprecedented views of the city.

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Chicago Climate

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When to Fly to Chicago

Peak Season:
Summer is the peak of the festival season in the Chicago area with major events taking place in the parks and neighbourhoods every weekend, in spite of the heat and humidity from the Lake.  September can be the most enjoyable and mild month of the year but there's less going on during this period.

Off Season:
January to March is when Chicago is least busy and deals on hotels and cheap flights to Chicago are usually attainable. However, true to its reputation as the “Windy City”, cold temperatures and brisk winds will make you want to stay inside for most of your visit.

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Getting Downtown Chicago

Midway International Airport (MDW)

Distance: 17 miles northwest of downtown Chicago
Drive Time: 40 mins
 

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)

Distance:  10 miles from downtown
Drive time: 20 mins
Taxicabs are available on a first come, first serve basis from the lower level curb front of all terminals. Shared ride service is available. There are no flat rates because all taxicabs run on meters. Expect to spend approximately $35 (£17) to $40 (£20) for a taxicab ride to downtown Chicago.

The airports are accessible via local mass transit lines, regional trains and buses, downtown and suburban shuttles and interstate highways. Most ground transport access areas are located at the main entrance for each terminal.

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Getting Around Chicago

Public transport in the Chicago is excellent. As well as the El, the Chicago Transit Authority manages the city’s subways and buses. Visit its website for maps and fare information.

Driving is not recommended in the city as it can get congested and crowded.

Chicago is becoming more bike friendly, with the mayor encouraging people to cycle. The recently opened Millennium Park Bicycle Station provides free indoor parking for 300 bikes, showers and lockers, bicycle rental and repair and a café for cycling commuters.  There is also the introduction of a series of signs within the city, pointing out the best streets for cycling.

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Chicago Insider Information

• Any shopping in Chicago has to begin on State Street, in the centre of the Loop. The Marshall Field's flagship department store opened in 1852 there. Check out the famed “Magnificent Mile” along Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street for specialty shops and boutiques with designers from Paris, Milan and Manhattan blending with Chicago’s Gold Coast style.
• The Chicago Cultural Centre houses one of the city’s official Visitor Information Centres and offers more than 600 free art programmes annually.
• Along the shores of Lake Michigan, you’ll find Chicago's cultural delights including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Goodman Theatre, the Lyric Opera at the Civic Opera House building, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
• Chicago's lakefront is almost exclusively recreational park area from north to south, and features Grant Park, the home of Buckingham Fountain, the Petrillo Bandshell, the Grant Park Symphony (where free concerts are presented throughout the summer), and Chicago's annual two-week food orgy, the Taste of Chicago, where more than three million people "chow down".
• The beauty of Chicago springs from the tragedy of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 that claimed 300 lives, left 90,000 Chicagoans homeless and destroyed $200 million worth of property. From this disaster came the opportunity to plan and rebuild the entire city.
• Chicago is also home to the nine time world-championship football team, the Chicago Bears and Wrigley Field, the second-oldest ballpark in the Major League baseball, built in 1914, just behind Boston's Fenway Park, built in 1912.

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Chicago Airports

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